


The Simulation

by JustAndrea



Series: The Awesome Redemption Arc [4]
Category: Wander Over Yonder
Genre: Gen, description of a panic attack, holographic threats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 20:26:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9201074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAndrea/pseuds/JustAndrea
Summary: Even Awesome can’t deny that Peepers is actually a pretty good teacher when it comes to combat training and even just giving advice. But even so, not all of his ideas are good ones…





	

“…So, we’re just going to be fighting holograms?”

In a sea of giant eyes, it was very easy for Peepers to see where (and who) the simple comment had came from. At least it was only simple and not sarcastic. Rolling his eye slightly at the shark-man, the commander continued to explain, not wanting all his hard work to go unacknowledged or unappreciated. 

“It’s more than just holographic enemies,” he continued as he paced along the stage, “If that were the case, then it would be cheaper to just stick to the punching bags. No, what we have here… (pause for dramatic effect) is a total training experience!”

Pressing a button on his clicker, the image on the giant screen suddenly changed to a video clip of the room that played in-time with Peepers’ descriptions. “Our new holo-training room can create any environment with a 87.59% accuracy to it! It can create various types of weather as well as other unpredictable and/or unstable elements such as mud, huge bodies of water and so on! …And, yes it can also create holographic enemies. BUT, because it can create a scenario to go along with an enemy, this room will not only test your fighting skills, but will also help you all improve on endurance and adaption!” The crowd murmured, actually sounding a bit impressed - much to Peepers’ delight. 

“Alright. So, over the next week or so, all of you will be getting at least one scheduled training session inside the holo-training room so we can see how effective it really is, as well as get some feedback and make some improvements if we need to-” Though he highly doubted that they would need to do make any improvements, other than maybe a couple small tweaks here and there- “before making the room available to use at any time. Is everyone clear on that?” 

Most of the Watchdogs gave a mumbled ‘Yeah’ or simply nodded, so Peepers just accepted it as a good enough answer. Honestly, their monthly meeting had gone on long enough, as is. “Good. Now, if there are any other issues or points that anyone wants to bring up-” A single hand shot up into the air, easily rising above the Watchdog heads. Peepers narrowed his eye a bit. “Issues that _don’t_ involve suggestions for a party.” 

Awesome scowled back at the commander, but still quietly put his hand down. “Alright then, Watchdog meeting adjourned! Everyone back to work - and don’t forget to check your emails for your scheduled holographic-scenario training time!”

()()()()()()()()()  

It had taken about six days for Awesome’s holo-time (as it had been nicknamed, thanks to Fred in R&D) to finally roll around. Normally he would’ve been annoyed at having to wait so long - especially since Peepers’ new device actually sound pretty cool - but with literally _thousands_ of Watchdogs on the ship, he supposed he couldn’t be too mad at having to wait his turn.

The soldier in front of him stepped forward, walking into the room and shutting the door behind him. Awesome was now next in line, but he also knew that it would still be another several minutes, at least. “So… How’s it working so far, bro?” he asked the techie that was working at the computer connected to the holo-room, if only to kill some time.

“Pretty well!” the techie chimed, “I mean, there are a couple bugs here and there, and we still can’t quite get winter environments right - not nearly cold enough - but other than that, it’s working great!”

“Heh,” Awesome smirked slightly, “Looks like Peeps knew what he was doing when he was plannin’ this thing out.”

“As usual, of course,” a familiar, nasally voice said from behind him.

The shark-man rolled his eyes. “Speak of the nerd, and he shall appear.”

“Oh shut up,” Peepers replied simply, walking past him and taking a seat next to the techie. On the second screen - the one that wasn’t controlling the holograms - he quickly opened up a list of all the Watchdogs that had completed the simulation so far as well as their results and skimmed through them. He gave a small hum, and after a few moments, a proud smile made its way onto his face.

“And, just as I thought, this style of training is already having a positive effect on both reaction times and blaster accuracy!”

“Yeah!” the techie nodded, “And it’s an enjoyable kind of training too! In fact, a lot of the guys have been comparing their results and sorta challenging each other, seeing who can do the best on their training simulation.”

“Heh, like a giant video game competish,” Awesome added with a toothy grin.

“…” Peepers’ smile faltered a bit at that as he gave a small sigh. Of course… Oh well, even if the Watchdogs did just think of it as a giant game, they were still training and improving, and that was something. Whether they were conquering planets or protecting planets, Peepers was still determined to have the strongest army in the galaxy, one way or another!

“…But yeah,” Awesome started to say, getting the commander’s attention, “What you’ve got here can totally be called a success, Peeps. And I don’t know about you, bro, but don’t you think that maaaaybe a success like this deserves-”

“No.”

He blinked. “I- I didn’t even finish-!”

“You didn’t have to. I already know, and I already have an answer, Awesome. No party.”

Awesome groaned, even stomping his foot a bit. “ _Yes_ party! Come on, man!”

Peepers didn’t even flinch at the stomp, and matched his look without hesitation. “I thought you wanted to focus on working hard and becoming stronger?”

“I do!” he insisted, “Of course I wanna focus on that stuff! But, like… It’s been, like, two months since my last party! Almost three! Though, really, that last one barely counts… And hey, it’d only be the Watchdogs being there-” It wasn’t like he had a ton of people to invite to parties these days anyway- “So it’d be, you know, a small party! Come on! Everyone needs the chance to party every once in a while!”

“The answer’s still no, private,” Peepers said firmly. The Watchdogs were already easily distracted, they definitely didn’t need a party - _especially_ not one of Awesome’s parties, where there were unlimited drinks and a usual ending time of ‘whenever we feel like stopping’.

“Ughhhh, whatevs…” The shark-man scowled, crossing his arms. Well, at least he gave it a shot. Admittedly, he was expecting an answer like this, but even so… What he wouldn’t give for just one quick party, even one with only Watchdogs attending and Hater’s style of music playing in the background. 

A few minutes passed, and eventually the holo-room powered down and the Watchdog inside it walked out, looking a bit tired but otherwise fine. “Good work,” the techie nodded at him before turning to the next recruit in line, “Alright, you’re up.”

Awesome nodded and started to stretch slightly, preparing himself for whatever holo-enemies that were waiting for him. Glancing over at Peepers, he gave him a slightly cocky smirk. “Hey, betcha I can get in the Top Ten scores easily~”

“Don’t be worrying about a competition that isn’t even legitimate!” Peepers scolded, though he surprisingly didn’t scowl, “Because believe it or not, you actually _do_ have the skills and strength to pass most of the scenarios we have programmed into the room, you just have to remember how to use them. Understand?”

“…” His smirk softened a bit as he gave a small chuckle. Typical Peepers-Style encouragement. “Right, got it.” With that, he walked forward and into the room. However, as soon as the door shut, Peepers stood up. 

“I’ll select the scenario for this one,” he told the techie, who blinked in surprise at him. Still, as strange at it was, he did stand up, letting the commander take his seat. Squeezing the mouse slightly, Peepers scrolled through the list of holographic scenarios, and quickly selected one that simply read ‘D-1′. “Here we go…”

“…Huh,” Awesome mumbled, glancing around the room - specifically at its shiny, grid-like walls and floors. After a couple seconds though, the grids started to disappear and were replaced by darkness. 

Frowning slightly, he got out his blaster and turned on the small light that was on top of it. Not too bright, but at least it was something. “Hello?” he asked, glancing around some more, “Yo? Any of you holo-dudes out there? I’m ready to throw down if you are!” …No response… 

Awesome gave a small hum, now both curious and a bit annoyed. With no other options, he walked forward. As he walked, he stretched out his arm slightly and lightly touched the walls. A little rough, definitely not artificial, maybe sorta earth-y? “Guess I got dropped into a holo-cave or somethin’,” he mumbled. It also felt somewhat warm, but he just assumed that was due to all the electricity in the room.

Nearly a full moment of walking passed before he caught any sign of life. It was faint, but he was almost certain that he heard footsteps. Feeling the determination rise in him, he pressed himself to the warm, rocky wall and waited, his finger already on his blaster’s trigger. 

Glancing over at his opponent, he could see that it was small. It was still too dark to really see it well, but he could hear a bit of… something, in its steps. Maybe, mechanical? What, was he fighting a robot or something? Or maybe some sort of caveman cyborg? Whatever, it didn’t matter. As soon as it got close enough, Awesome stepped out and aimed his blaster right at it, and-

His eyes widened. The light on his blaster had revealed _exactly_ what it was… 

As if coming out of sleep-mode thanks to the sudden spot of light now on it, lines of orange melted down its sleek, round body, allowing it to now give off a threatening glow. Its tentacle arms began to glow slightly as well, digging into the dirt. Finally, the lava-bot produced a blaster of its own, and aimed it right at Awesome.

Shaking slightly, the shark-man mustered up a scowl as he fired a shot. A narrow miss, and the lava-bot quickly fired back in retaliation. Thankfully, Awesome had been able to dodge it, jumping back while still trying to keep his blaster steady. “Y-You don’t scare me… You-”

Just then, the ground began to shake slightly - not violently, but enough to be noticed, at least. Behind the lava-bot, the ground began to crack and splinter, quickly becoming an opening for more lava to come up. “…No way…” It only took seconds for the lava to form into three new lava-bots, each of them with their own blaster, and all of them with their eyes on Awesome…

“S-Stay back, alright?!” he shouted, firing more shots as he began to back away from them. But each shot managed to miss - sometimes barely, and sometimes he wasn’t even close. And the more he missed, the harder he shook, and the harder it was to aim. 

Adding onto that, he also had to dodge the lava-bots attacks, which was getting harder and harder to do despite how on edge he was. They weren’t just blindly firing - no, they were precise and knew exactly where to aim, making it harder and harder for Awesome to avoid-!

 _*PEW!*_ There was a flash of heat in his hands, and Awesome gasped, his grip on the weapon loosening just enough for it to fly out of his hands. It wasn’t destroyed, thankfully, but it manage to bounce a couple feet away from him before landing on the ground. 

“Grop…” he winced, biting his lip slightly, “Gropgropgrop…” With no danger to stop them from doing so, the lava-bots started moving forward, quickly closing the distance between them and their terrified opponent as they continued to fire. 

With no other options, Awesome tried to keep dodging each blast the best he could, his footsteps becoming quicker. At one point he nearly turned on his heel and started to run but- He flinched, suddenly feeling something behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he could see that it was another cave wall, one that had came nowhere and was now blocking his exit. Well, better than a giant lava-bot, at least. But even so…

He could feel himself heat up as he looked back at the bots, his skin starting to itch and burn… He had nowhere to run, no way to defend himself. Part of him told him to try and get his blaster, but with four blasters pointed at him, his body was as stiff as a statue. 

The bots came closer and closer. One of them even fired a shot near his head, and with a yelp, Awesome not only dodged, but dropped to his knees, his snout nearly touching the floor. His eyes were shut and his fists were clenched so tightly that, had it not been for his gloves, he would’ve been digging into his skin. This was it… They were going to kill him or, or bound him - cover him and burning lava so he couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe! They were going to burn him, torture him and then bring him to-! To-!

“NO!” He shouted, squeezing his eyes tighter as his skin continued to burn and a cruel laugh echoed through his mind, “Nonono, I-I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please just-!” He heard a loud mechanical whirl. Were they getting out bigger blasters, or were they just melting down to become his restraints? A hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder, and he screamed.

“AWESOME!” His eyes opened, though he still wasn’t daring enough to move. He felt the hand return, though this time it’s touch was lighter, as if trying to comfort  “It’s okay! It’s okay! It was just a simulation, remember? You’re okay!”

Okay… He was okay… Slowly, he started to look up. The lava-bots were gone, as was the cave, with the walls of the room back to its grid-like pattern. And instead of any enemies staring him down, he only saw Peepers - who was actually looking a bit concerned.

“…It’s okay,” the commander repeated, his voice quieter now, “Come on…” Gently, he took Awesome’s arm and lifted it slightly, pulling him up. He blinked a few times as the burning started to fade, but as he sat there and tried to bring himself back to reality, he couldn’t help but notice the several eyeballs staring at him from the holo-room’s doorway.

…Everyone saw him… Everyone saw him get scared and be weak and lose control and make a fool of himself again… Scowling, Awesome quickly stood up, and nearly fell back down because of it. Though, when he felt a tiny hand grab his side, he forced himself to step forward, and managed to stabilize himself on his own somewhat.

“…Guess I failed the scenario, huh?” he mumbled. And with that, he rushed out of the room the best he could, practically shoving the other Watchdogs out of the way (though it was hard to tell whether that was on accident or not) and not looking back, not even when Peepers called his name.

()()()()()()()()()()

While he definitely wasn’t the most sympathetic or supported Watchdog out there, Peepers did have a lot of experience providing emotional support for his lord. He knew how to cheer Hater up, how to listen (even when the things upsetting him were ridiculous), and was even willing to give back rubs and supportive hugs when they were required.

But even with all of that experience, he still felt like he wasn’t properly prepared for this (and he HATED being under-prepared). But that didn’t matter. And, after one last moment of hesitation, he knocked on the door of what was formerly Smooching Room #3. “Awesome…?” After a few seconds, he opened the door and peeked inside. 

The shark-man was laying on his bed, listening to some random electronic song (at a _very_ high volume, if the fact that Peepers could almost clearly hear it was any indication), though he didn’t seem too into it. Still, it was a decent distraction, hence why he didn’t know that Peepers was there until after he opened the door. He glanced at him, and then paused his MP3 player. “What?” he asked quietly, not really looking at him.

“Well, erm… You left your blaster behind,” Peepers said as he walked in, placing the weapon on his bedside table, “Just thought I’d grab it for you…”

“Kay,” Awesome mumbled, not saying anything else. Honestly, Peepers was kind of waiting for him to start yelling or demanding answers. But when that didn’t happen, the commander decided to speak up once more.

“I wasn’t purposely trying to cause you to fail the simulation, just so you know. I was just-”

The shark finally gave a bit of a reaction at that. “Really? ‘Cause, it don’t seem like that from my end, bro,” he told him, scowling slightly. 

“You’re the one who said that you wanted help getting over your fears,” Peepers retorted. Though, once he heard his own words, he realized that they had come out just a bit too harsh than he had wanted. “I mean, I just thought that it would be a good test for you. A chance to face your fears without the risk of physical harm!”

“Tc’ch, yeah well, you still could’ve given me a warning about it, you know?” Awesome told him, clenching his fists slightly, “But, like… I knew it wasn’t real, you know? Like… I knew it in the beginning, that the holograms couldn’t really hurt me, and I was ready to face them and still actually try to fight them despite knowing that they couldn’t hurt me. But…” His gaze fell to the floor. “But, but then I just… forgot, alright?”

Peepers’ own gaze softened a bit. “…I know… But, you could go do another simulation test if you’d like. Like I said, you have the skills to pass most of them.” He offered a small smile. “You could even try to get into that ridiculous Top Ten Scores if you really wanted to.”

He thought about it for a moment, his eyes still on the shiny, black floor. “…No thanks,” he said eventually before unpausing his music, clearly indicating that he was done for the day (and perhaps for a bit of time after that, too).

“…” Holding back a sigh, Peepers nodded and stepped out, only staying by the door for a moment before walking back down the long hall. “I really didn’t think it would be that big of a deal…” he mumbled to himself. According to his research, exposure therapy was always difficult but usually worth it in the end, and Awesome _had_ been the one who had said he wanted to try and get over his fears. 

“Besides, it’s not like the holo-setting was Dominator’s ship, or that the enemy was Dominator herself…” By all accounts, his theory AND his plan should’ve been successful! Yes, it would have been challenging for the recruit and maybe even a little intimidating, but it also _should_ have led to a moment of personal growth, strength and success for Awesome - not to mention a bit of success for Peepers as well, being his trainer and all. 

…But, perhaps that was his biggest mistake of all. Perhaps he should have known by now that things don’t always go according to plan…

“And this plan was definitely a failure…” For both Awesome and himself. “Hmph…” …Then again, Peepers never was the type to just take failure lying down. “And maybe… maybe there’s a way to turn this failure around, or at the very least make up for it.” And just like that, the little commander had a new plan in his mind. 

As he mentally hashed out the details, his steps quickened in both determination and in excitement. Oh yes… Even if he was admittedly a bit reluctant to launch said plan, he was certain that this one would work!

The night passed quickly. It hadn’t been a great sleep for the shark-man but it had at least been a decent one, with no nightmares thanks to his headphones blasting music the whole night and distracting the subconscious part of him enough. 

“Not perfect, but it works for now,” Awesome mumbled to himself as he sat up, stretching slightly. After turning off his MP3 player, he turned it off and plugged it into his charger before standing up. But, no sooner had he touched the floor, did he hear a knock at his door. “Hm?” He briefly wondered who it could be before figuring that it would have to be Peepers. Who else would be at his room. “Ugh…” Still, not really having much of a choice, he opened the door.

“Hey.”

Awesome blinked. “Flex?”

“Yep,” the buff fistfighter nodded, “S’up?”

“Uh, not much. Just woke up…” he replied, suddenly feeling a bit self conscious about his uniform and lack of make-up, but he tried his best to shake these feelings off and play it cool. “So uh, what are you doing here, bro?” Sure, they had been talking about meeting up again on Awesome’s next day off, but they always met on his limo-ship (since the Skullship was considered a ‘work-only’ zone, or at least, that was the vibe Awesome always got from it).

“Just figured we could hang,” Flex replied simply with a small shrug, “And uh, your ‘commander’ (he did the air quotes with his fist-head) said it was cool for me to pick you up.”

“Oh…” No doubt an attempt to make up for what happened in the holo-room… Still, Awesome could appreciate it somewhat, though he hoped that Peepers didn’t give away too many details. “Uh, yeah, sure. We can hang.”

“Cool. Though, you think we can stop for some breakfast before we head back to our ship? I’m starving.” Awesome paused, putting a hand on his own stomach. After not having much of a supper the night before, he could definitely use something to eat now. “Besides, I heard a couple of our guys talkin’ to some of the eyeballs here, and apparently this ship’s food court has some pretty good breakfasts?”

The shark-man smirked a bit. “Tc’ch, yeah they do. Surprisingly, the food’s actually one of the better things on this skull.” Definitely worth the extra trip too. So, Awesome stepped out, closed the door behind him, and started to lead the way. “Not nearly enough fish, but still pretty great. Both Hatey and a lot of the watch-dudes here have got a HUGE love for Mexican food. Would you believe that they actually serve churros at breakfast sometimes?”

“Seriously? Huh. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll have ‘em today.” “Heh, yeah, maybe…” As they get closer to the food court though, not only does Awesome pick up on the usual breakfast smells, but also certain sounds. Lots of talking, a bit of cheering, and… music? 

“Wait… Is-? No way…” Picking up his speed a bit, Awesome makes his way to the familiar entryway, only faltering slightly at the fact that the doors are closed before easily pushing through them, and as soon as he’s in the food court, his expression quickly goes from complete shock to total excitement and happiness.

By normal standards, it’s not too crazy of a party. Nowhere near it, in fact, but that doesn’t mean there’s no evidence of effort or enthusiasm put into it. Pink, purple and teal streamers were hung along the walls as well as each food court station. Though, speaking of which, the normal counters were closed and instead the guests were getting their food from a long table. A typical party staple, even if the food being served was anything but, though it was breakfast time so at least the dishes being served made sense.

Stacks of pancakes and waffles next to a syrup fountain, three different kinds of milk to drink served in red plastic party cups, a mountain of various baked goods that were practically smothered in frosting and sugar, plenty of bacon and eggs, a couple actual party foods like popcorn and chips, and - what caught Awesome’s attention the most - a huge plate of sushi, with several different kinds of fish on it to choose from!

Of course, there wasn’t _just_ the food. While there was nothing as cool as a disco ball there, there were a few party lights set up that changed colors and spun slightly. The music playing over the decent-sized speakers sounded like it was taken right from Awesome’s own playlist. All of the Watchdogs there looked like they were having a great time - Heck, he could even see Handy and Hater enjoying themselves through the crowd! Perhaps the best part of all though, was when some of the guests did notice him, there were no awkward stares or curious looks. There were only waves and smiles that happily inviting him into the party that was no doubt at least partially inspired by him.

“…So, pretty good turn out?” He heard Flex ask eventually, still looking as stoic as ever but a smirk clearly evident in his voice.

Awesome chuckled slightly. “Totally… Heh, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a breakfast party before but, still, this is pretty cool - and it definitely looks like a pretty good time too! Heh, thanks man, I really needed this.” He held his hand out for a fist-bump, but was immediately refused. 

“Don’t thank me,” Flex told him, earning another look of shock from his bro and former boss, “I’m just the guy who made sure you didn’t miss this.”

“But then, who-?” He stopped, and after a moment, he gave a quick “See ya in a bit” to Flex before rushing forward and making his way across the party floor. 

Luckily, even with the huge number of Watchdogs there, it didn’t take him long to find the person he was looking for, thanks to a certain tall helmet. “…So, what happened to mister ‘No-Way-Am-I-Ever-Throwing-A-Party-Here’?”

Peepers rolled his eye, but he didn’t scowl. “Let’s just say… I thought that maybe I owed you something, and I wanted it to be something you actually appreciate. Still, don’t be expecting something like this every time I make a mistake or you need some cheering up.”

Awesome chuckled, taking a seat next to the commander. “Yeah, I know. …And you’re right, I definitely appreciate this. Totes appreciate it, and I’m definitely gonna enjoy it-” Especially since it would probably be the last time he partied for Grop knows how long. “But, I wanted to say thanks before I did.”

Peepers paused, then gave him a small nod. “Well, you’re welcome. Like I said, I did sort of owe you a bit of a compensation for my mistake…”

The shark-man leaned back slightly, grabbing a nearby cup. “Yeah well… You weren’t totally in the wrong, dude. I mean, I did say I wanted your help. And… Maybe the next time I try out that simulation, I’ll actually be able to get through it.” It was certainly an encouraging thought, no matter how unlikely it might have seemed to him at the moment.

“…I think you’d be able to,” Peepers spoke up, “You’d have good odds at doing so, at least. But… We can still work our way up to it. Try out a few other scenarios before revisiting that one.”

“…” Awesome smiled slightly, taking a quick sip of milk. “Yeah… Sounds like a good plan.” It would probably suck, and maybe he would even freak out again, but the more he thought about it, the more he was determined to eventually go through that holo-cave again.

Peepers smiled back, just a little. “Just as I thought it would.”

“Tc’ch, whatevs.” He finished up his drink after just a couple more sips, but before he could try to say his goodbyes to the commander (since he was sure that Peepers wouldn’t stay any longer than he absolutely needed to), a popular EDM song began to play over the speakers. Most of the Watchdogs cheered, and the crowd quickly became a dance floor. And as he watched, Awesome slowly started to grin.

“…Hey Peeps? Dance with me.”

“Excuse me?!” Peepers asked, looking at him like he was crazy, and even throwing in a small glare just in case it was a big joke.

But Awesome just chuckled. “Yeah, come on! Get out on the dance floor, just for one dance!”

Narrowing his eye at the recruit a bit more, Peepers crossed his arms. “Absolutely not.”

“Aww, come on, Peepsqueak! You’ve gotta have some sweet moves that you can show off! And besides, you do kinda owe me~”

Peepers groaned. “Okay, you are absolutely  _not_ allowed to bring up the holo-room incident every time you want something!”

“Oh I’m not,” Awesome insisted, still smirking, “I’m just gonna bring it up until you get out on that dance floor. And hey, f-y-info, bro, it’d be for your benefit too. Like I said, everyone needs the chance to party every once in a while.”

“Ugh…” The commander couldn’t help but roll his eye at the idea. Still, he had a feeling that this would be one thing that Awesome wouldn’t drop until he did it. So, making sure to scowl the entire way, he reluctantly hopped down from his seat and started walking to the designated dancing area, with Awesome happily following him. 

It certainly wasn’t the greatest dancing. Definitely not as dorky as Hater’s, but still pretty stiff - especially when compared to the fluidity of Awesome’s dancing next to his. Still, Peepers was no quitter, and as the bass dropped and the song reached its high-energy climax, he did manage to loosen up just a little. His moves still looked somewhat planned, but at least they also looked somewhat natural, and even a little enjoyable.

“Told ya you had some sweet moves in you!” Awesome shouted over the music. Peepers just tried to ignore him and continued dancing, making sure not to make any big missteps in front of his men despite still looking a bit awkward. At the same time, Awesome tried to match his moves, making them look a bit more like a performing pair while still adding in his own unique flair. As a final touch, both of them received huge applause and loud cheers as they struck their final pose on the song’s last beat. Perhaps it had just been a trick in the lighting or something, but Awesome could have sworn that he saw a faint smile on Peepers’ face.

…Of course, it only took a couple seconds for the commander to make his way back off the dance floor, but Awesome didn’t try to hold him back or force him to stay, nor did he feel too upset when he realized that the party would probably only last until the late morning. 

It didn’t matter if it was tame or short, it was still a party, and he was going to enjoy it. He was going to let himself feel good and feel on top of the universe, just like he did at every party he threw or attended, and no matter what training or challenges Peepers or the universe had in store for him, he was going to try to hold onto that feeling as long as he could. Honestly, it was the least he could do, both for the commander and for himself. His big comeback disaster hadn’t been his final party. His failures hadn’t marked his end, and thank grop for that… But, no matter what happened next, he told himself that this party wasn’t going to be his final party either. 

And he was going to make sure of that.


End file.
